News
Cosmic Matters
Gary A. Chanan Receives 2020 Award for Advancement of Basic and Applied Science
W. M. Keck Observatory congratulates Dr. Gary A. Chanan, a pioneer and innovator in the field of telescope optics who played an important role in the Observatory’s segmented mirror technology. Chanan graduated from Yale in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Physics, embarking on a career that would prove foundational to […]
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New Image Offers Close-up View of Interstellar Comet
Maunakea, Hawaii – Astronomers at Yale University are getting a fresh glimpse of a visitor from another star; using W. M. Keck Observatory, they captured a new image of 2I/Borisov, the very first interstellar comet we know of to enter into our Solar System. The alien traveler, first spotted this summer, is steadily getting brighter […]
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Hawaii Communities Catch Planet Mercury Journey Across the Sun
Hundreds of astronomy fans attend Maunakea Observatories Mercury Transit Viewing Parties to See Rare Event Hawaii Island – It’s an astronomical phenomenon that won’t be visible from Hawaii again for another 30 years; on Monday, November 11, communities across the Big Island of Hawaii made sure to catch the rare event at Mercury Transit Viewing […]
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The Impossible Telescope
Waimea (Kamuela), Hawaii – Two years ago today, we lost a member of our W. M. Keck Observatory ohana. Jerry Nelson, the legendary designer of the Keck I & II telescopes, also known as the “Father of the Keck Observatory Telescopes,” passed away on June 10, 2017. In remembrance of Jerry’s legacy, we spent the next year after […]
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W. M. Keck Observatory Welcomes Kāpili `Oihana Intern Riley Atkinson
Waimea (Kamuela), Hawaii – We are pleased to announce that Riley Atkinson will join W. M. Keck Observatory as a Kamehameha Schools Kāpili ʻOihana Intern. Atkinson, a rising sophomore at Columbia University, will contribute her expertise and gain work experience this summer in donor, media, and community relations. Keck Observatory is grateful for the collaboration with Kāpili ʻOihana, a program […]
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Shaw Prize in Astronomy Awarded to Ed Stone
Pasadena, California – Edward (Ed) C. Stone, the David Morrisroe Professor of Physics at Caltech, and the project scientist for NASA’s Voyager mission for the past 47 years, has been awarded the prestigious Shaw Prize in Astronomy “for his leadership in the Voyager project, which has, over the past four decades, transformed our understanding of […]
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Exoplanet Detective Courtney Dressing Investigates Earth Doppelgangers Orbiting Nearby Stars
WAIMEA (KAMUELA), HAWAII – NASA’s new Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satilite (TESS) is discovering strange new worlds closest to our solar system, and last night, a curious audience came to find out if any of them are similar to Earth. At W. M. Keck Observatory’s public astronomy talk, guest speaker Courtney Dressing, Assistant Professor of Astronomy […]
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UC Berkeley Astronomer Alex Filippenko Reveals Mysteries of Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe
WAIMEA (KAMUELA), HAWAII – The mysterious dark substance that appears to be causing the accelerated expansion of the universe attracted a maximum-capacity crowd to W. M. Keck Observatory’s latest astronomy talk, featuring special guest speaker Dr. Alex Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. More than 500 people attended the free public […]
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Comet Hunters Successfully Observe Wirtanen with Newly Modernized Instrument at W. M. Keck Observatory
NIRSPEC Upgrade Delivers Sharper Views of Comet Wirtanen Maunakea, Hawaii – Astronomers are being treated to an exciting view of Comet 46P/Wirtanen at W. M. Keck Observatory, with sharper-than-ever data images of this icy and rocky space visitor. A group of comet scientists led by Boncho Bonev, Physics Research Assistant Professor at American University, just […]
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Hawaii High School Student Scores Highly-Coveted Telescope Time to Study ‘Tatooine’ at Keck Observatory
Maunakea, Hawaii – The Star Wars universe turned from science fiction to science fact for an Oahu student, who recently observed a real-life ‘Tatooine’ using one of the largest, most scientifically-impactful observatories in the world. On November 19, 2018, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Waipahu High School Senior Laura Daclison performed professional, astronomical observations of […]
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